Carney weighs sending soldiers to Greenland for military exercises with NATO allies: sources
CBC
Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering sending soldiers to Greenland for military exercises with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on European nations unless they let him purchase and control the semiautonomous island.
Two senior Canadian officials have told CBC News that a set of contingency plans were drawn up last week and presented to the federal government.
A Royal Canadian Air Force contingent is already taking part in a pre-planned NORAD exercise in Greenland, but the prime minister is weighing whether to send additional forces as part of sovereignty exercises the Danes are planning, which could include drills to protect the Arctic island's critical infrastructure.
Given the political implications of Canada joining and the potential blowback from the Trump administration, both sources said they're not certain which way the government is leaning.
CBC is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Among the options, a small contingent of Canadian soldiers could be flown to Greenland by the end of the week if called upon, the sources said.
News of the potential deployment was first reported by the Globe and Mail.
While the nations involved are all members of NATO, the sources emphasized, joining the Danish exercise would be outside the western military alliance's framework — much like the efforts to help Ukraine have fallen to the coalition of the willing.
Over the weekend, Trump reiterated his demand that the U.S. buy and control Greenland, claiming that China and Russia also want the island.
On social media, he threatened a 10 per cent tariff on eight European countries opposed to the idea: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.
The tariff rate would rise to 25 per cent on June 1 if the U.S. did not reach a deal to buy Greenland, Trump added.
The countries named by Trump have backed Denmark, warning that the U.S. military seizure of a NATO territory could collapse the military alliance that Washington leads.
In a statement released Sunday morning, the eight European countries said they stand in full solidarity with the people of Greenland and "stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.
"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," the statement added.
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This First Person column is the experience of Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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